The present invention relates to folding frame systems and, more particularly, to folding frame systems with V-shaped leg assemblies and folding foot assemblies.
My U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,934 shows a folding frame system with a V-shaped leg assembly and folding foot assembly. The V-shaped leg has been found to be superior in strength to legs formed from single or telescoping struts. It proposes a folding foot assembly at a bottom of the V-shaped leg. It is desirable to provide a more robust folding foot assembly.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a foot assembly for a V-leg assembly of a folding frame system comprises a first U-shaped bracket having two legs connected by a web, a second U-shaped bracket having two legs connected by a web, a cylindrical toot member, and a pivot pin extending, through a hole in the web of the first bracket, a hole in the foot member, and a hole in the web of the second bracket so that the first bracket, the foot member, and the second bracket are all pivotable relative to one another about the pivot pin.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a folding leg assembly is provided for a folding frame system, the folding frame system including at least three pivotably attached strut pairs, the folding frame system being movable between a folding frame closed position in which struts of the at least three strut pairs are disposed parallel to each other and a folding frame open position in which struts of the at least three strut pairs are locked in non-parallel positions and ends of the struts of each strut pair of the at least three strut pairs define a rectangle. The folding leg assembly comprises two leg strut assemblies, each leg strut assembly including a top leg strut and a tubular bottom leg strut in which the top leg strut is telescopingly slidable between a top leg strut closed position and a top leg strut open position, a top end of each top leg strut including a joint for pivotable attachment to an end of a start of a strut pair of the at least three strut pairs of the folding frame system, a lock for locking the top leg strut in the top leg strut open position, and two arm strut assemblies, each arm strut assembly corresponding to a respective leg strut assembly, each arm strut assembly being pivotably attached at a bottom end to a point on the bottom leg strut of the respective leg strut assembly, a top end of each arm strut assembly including a joint for pivotable attachment to an end of a strut of a strut pair of the at least three strut pairs of the folding frame system, wherein the two leg strut assemblies are pivotably attached to each other at bottom ends of bottom leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies, the joints at the top ends of top leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies each being pivotably attached to top ends of struts of the strut pair of the at least three strut pairs, the joints at the top ends of arm strut assemblies of the two arm strut assemblies each being pivotably attached to bottom ends of the struts of the strut pair, and a foot assembly for pivotably attaching the two leg strut assemblies to each other at bottom ends of the bottom leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies, the foot assembly permitting pivotal movement of the two leg strut assemblies, the foot assembly comprising a first U-shaped bracket having two legs connected by, a web, a second U-shaped bracket having two legs connected by a web, a cylindrical foot member, and a pivot pin extending through a hole in the web of the first bracket, a hole in the foot member, and a hole in the web of the second bracket so that the first bracket, the foot member, and the second bracket are all pivotable relative to one another about the pivot pin, each of the first and second U-shaped brackets receiving one of the bottom ends of the bottom leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies between the two legs of the U-shaped bracket, the bottom end of each bottom leg strut of the two leg strut assemblies being pivotably attached to a respective U-shaped bracket by a respective foot pin extending through the two legs of the U-shaped bracket and the bottom end of the bottom leg strut.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a folding frame system comprises a roof assembly including at least three pivotably attached strut pairs, adjacent pairs of at least three pivotably attached strut pairs defining at least three corners of the roof assembly, the roof assembly being movable between a roof assembly closed position in which struts of the at least three strut pairs are disposed parallel to each other and a roof assembly open position in which struts of the at least three strut pairs are locked in non-parallel positions and ends of the struts of each strut pair of the at least three strut pairs define a rectangle, and at least one folding leg assembly attached to the roof assembly, each folding leg assembly comprising two leg strut assemblies, each leg strut assembly including a top leg strut and a tubular bottom leg strut in which the top leg strut is telescopingly slidable between a top leg strut closed position and a top leg strut open position, a top end of each top leg strut including a joint for pivotable attachment to an end of a strut of a strut pair of the at least three strut pairs of the roof assembly, a lock for locking the top leg strut in the top leg strut open position, two arm strut assemblies, each arm strut assembly corresponding to a respective leg strut assembly, each arm strut assembly being pivotably attached at a bottom end to a point on the bottom leg strut of the respective leg strut assembly, a top end of each arm strut assembly including a joint for pivotable attachment to an end of a strut of a strut pair of the at least three strut pairs of the roof assembly, wherein the two leg strut assemblies are pivotably attached to each other at bottom ends of bottom leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies, the joints at the top ends of top leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies each being pivotably attachable to top ends, of struts of the strut pair of the at least three strut pairs, the joints at the top ends of arm strut assemblies of the two arm strut assemblies each being pivotably attachable to bottom ends of the struts of the strut pair, a foot assembly for pivotably attaching the two leg strut assemblies to each other at bottom ends of the bottom leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies, the foot assembly permitting pivotal movement of the two leg strut assemblies, the foot assembly comprising a first U-shaped bracket having two legs connected by a web, a second U-shaped bracket having two legs connected by a web, a cylindrical foot member, and a pivot pin extending through a hole in the web of the first bracket, a hole in the foot member, and a hole in the web of the second bracket so that the first bracket, the foot member, and the second bracket are all pivotable relative to one another about the pivot pin, each of the first and second U-shaped brackets receiving one of the bottom ends of the bottom leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies between the two legs of the U-shaped bracket, the bottom end of each bottom leg strut of the two leg strut assemblies being pivotably attached to a respective U-shaped bracket by a respective foot pin extending through the two legs of the U-shaped bracket and the bottom end of the bottom leg strut.
According to still another an aspect of the present invention, a folding leg assembly for a folding frame system is provided, the folding frame system including at least three pivotably attached strut pairs, the folding frame system being movable between a folding frame closed position in which struts of the at least three strut pairs are disposed parallel to each other and a folding frame open position in which struts of the at least three strut pairs are locked in non-parallel positions and ends of the struts of each strut pair of the at least three strut pairs define a rectangle. The folding leg assembly comprises two leg strut assemblies, each leg strut assembly including a top leg strut and a tubular bottom leg strut in which the top leg strut is telescopingly slidable between a top leg strut closed position and a top leg strut open position, a top end of each top leg strut including a joint for pivotable attachment to an end of a strut of a strut pair of the at least three strut pairs of the folding frame system, a lock for locking the top leg strut in the top leg strut open position, two arm strut assemblies, each arm strut assembly corresponding to a respective leg strut assembly, each arm strut assembly being pivotably attached at a bottom end to a point on the bottom leg strut of the respective leg strut assembly, a top end of each arm strut assembly including a joint for pivotable attachment to, the folding frame system, wherein the two leg strut assemblies are pivotably attached to each other at bottom ends of bottom leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies, top ends of top leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies each including a joint for pivotable attachment to top ends of struts of a strut pair of the at least three strut pairs, top ends of arm strut assemblies of the two arm strut assemblies each including a joint for pivotable attachment to bottom ends of the struts of the strut pair, and a foot assembly for pivotably attaching the two leg strut assemblies to each other at bottom ends of the bottom leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies, the foot assembly permitting pivotal movement of the two leg strut assemblies, the foot assembly comprising an elongated U-shaped bracket having two legs connected by a web, holes through legs of the bracket at opposite first and second ends of the bracket, the first and second ends of the bracket receiving respective ones of the bottom ends of the bottom leg struts of the two leg strut assemblies between the two legs of the U-shaped bracket, the bottom end of each bottom leg strut of the two leg strut assemblies being pivotably attached to the U-shaped bracket by a respective foot pin extending through the two legs of the U-shaped bracket and the bottom end of the bottom leg strut.